On June 23, 2022, federal agencies announced a 30-day public comment period for an Environmental Assessment (EA) requesting to withdraw lands from new mineral leasing for 20 years in the Rainy River watershed. The Rainy River watershed is adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in the Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota. In a newly released study, the United States Forest Service (USFS) proposed a moratorium on the development of any mineral leases in approximately 225,504 acres of Superior National Forest lands within the watershed of the Boundary Waters for 20 years.
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Please consider joining the National Deer Association (NDA) in supporting reinstatement and completion of the proposed mineral withdrawal process upstream of the BWCAW in the Superior National Forest. CLICK HERE to quickly send your comments of support to the USFS.
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The NDA has been fully supportive of efforts to protect the BWCAW and surrounding watershed from sulfide-ore copper mining. The EA provides a sound science-based foundation for implementing measures to provide permanent Boundary Waters protection for future generations. With complete transparency, opportunities for public comment, and a thorough interagency review of extensive ecological and economic data, the study conducted by federal agencies has shown, without a doubt, that the watershed of the Boundary Waters is no place for sulfide-ore copper mining. Today, the Boundary Waters is the most visited Wilderness in our nation, with over 165,000 adventurers seeking the one-of-a-kind backcountry experience that it has to offer. With its world class hunting, fishing, paddling, hiking, and camping opportunities the Boundary Waters truly is a public lands and waters success story.